Holidays are a vital part of our lives. They provide you with a chance to rest, recover, recharge, and reflect. If you want a life with balance and sustainability, taking these breaks is key.
However, if you are in the middle of a fat loss or body composition journey, getting back into a routine post-holiday can be challenging. You may feel overwhelmed with where to start and unsure about which areas to prioritize. As a result, your progress can be affected if you are spending time on things that are not conducive to your goal.
So, how can you change this? What areas must you focus on to ensure that you jump straight into more progress after your holiday?
Have A Clear Goal
Before you get back into it, there are some fundamental things that you must be clear on in your mind. The first of which is knowing what you want to achieve and be specific with it. So, if the goal is fat loss, how much fat do you want to lose? If it is weight loss, what target are you aiming to reach? Being clear with your goal is a vital part of the journey because that clarity allows you to focus on the work and discipline required to get there. It also gives you a realistic time frame to achieve your goal, which will help lower your expectations and allow you to be more patient and enjoy the journey.
Know Your ‘Why‘
Another crucial thing to be clear about is why your goal is important to you. There will be a deep, emotional reason why you are looking to get in shape and you must dig this out before you set out your plan to get there. This is vital, not just to ensure that you are invested in the process, but also so that you can maintain consistency throughout the inevitable periods of low motivation further down the line. This is what we like to call an ‘anchor’ and it will carry you through to your goal if it is meaningful enough.
Have A Clear Plan
Once you know your deep, emotional ‘why’ it is then vital that you have a clear plan in place. Fat loss is often overcomplicated by people due to the lack of planning involved, so you must have a roadmap ahead of you, which includes all the variables that change over time, such as adjustments in food and training intensity. This will allow you to think clearly and focus your efforts on putting in the hard work. Your plan should involve two to four resistance training sessions per week, a simple diet structure to follow, and a sustainable form of cardio.
Seek Help And Guidance
If you are looking to get back on track, you may well find it hard to go at it alone. It can be hard to consistently motivate yourself to keep going and stay disciplined in the most important areas. Therefore, having a coach, mentor, or someone you know to regularly support you are going to be key, especially during the times when you are down and not inspired to train or stick to your diet is going to be vital for getting through tough times and staying consistent. A good coach will also provide you with a plan that you can stick to and progress over time.
Keep Things Simple
A common reason why people struggle to return to good habits is that they overwhelm themselves by looking too far ahead and going on unsustainable training and diet plans. One of the most important parts of changing your body shape is the ability to stick to a simple plan consistently over a long period of time. So, take things one day at a time and focus on nailing the world-class basics, such as training, nutrition, movement, sleep, stress, recovery, and mindset.
Summary
If you have just come back from holiday and are struggling to get back into a good routine again, there are certain areas you should focus on. These include having a clear goal, knowing your ‘why’, having a clear plan, seeking help and guidance, and keeping things simple. By prioritising these points and not overwhelming yourself, you will soon find yourself back into good habits and progressing towards your body shape goals.
Photo Credits: Envato Elements